Mariana Shafro
Ukrainian photographer, filmmaker, and producer.
Mariana Shafro is a Ukrainian photographer, filmmaker, and producer. A 2009 graduate of the New York Film Academy, she has built a distinguished 15-year career, with her photography featured in Vogue, ELLE, Forbes, L'Officiel, Life, and others.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Mariana has dedicated her work to volunteering and the advancement of Ukrainian culture. Since 2022, she has redirected her expertise to serve as the lead producer of the "Varta" documentary project, a vital cultural record of Ukraine's resistance that has garnered over 1,000,000 views globally. Her strategic leadership earned the VARTA short novel "She" the Best Short Film Award at the 2025 Women and the World International Film Festival in London.
From curating premieres at the Tate Modern and Les Rencontres d'Arles to organizing screenings for the European Council and Copenhagen and Riga, Mariana has become a key voice of VARTA in Ukrainian cultural diplomacy, bridging the gap between the frontlines and the global community.